Prognostic and clinicopathological value of high expression of TIM‐3 in different cancer types: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

BackgroundThis meta‐analysis was performed to clarify the prognostic role of the expression of T‐cell immunoglobulin mucin‐3 (TIM‐3) in different cancer types.MethodsRelated articles were searched from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science up to December 31, 2019. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to explore their associations. In addition, we conducted subgroup analyses stratified by various factors.ResultsEventually, a total of 33 studies including 4223 patients were enrolled in this study. Results showed that patients with high TIM‐3 expression had shorter overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.37‐2.04) and progression‐free survival (HR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.14‐2.83), but subgroup analyses indicated there were no relationship between TIM‐3 expression and disease‐free survival or recurrence‐free survival. It was reassuring that high TIM‐3 expression may be associated with poor prognosis in osteosarcoma, gastric cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and lymphoma, while no prognostic significance was detected of TIM‐3 expression in lung cancer, kidney cancer, or breast cancer. Furthermore, we did not find association of TIM‐3 with any clinicopathological parameters.ConclusionsHigh TIM‐3 expression might be a potential biomarker which can be used to predict the poor prognosis of different cancer types, especially osteosarcoma, gastric cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and lymphoma.

TIM-3 transcriptomic landscape with clinical and immunomic correlates in cancer

“…In another study, high CD3 and ICOS (Inducible T-cell Co-stimulator) and low TIM-3 expression predict favourable survival in resected oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma [35]. Yet, in a different meta-analysis, the results were more nuanced and a bit divergent: high TIM-3 expression was associated with poor prognosis in osteosarcoma, gastric cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and lymphoma, while no prognostic significance was detected for TIM-3 expression in lung cancer, kidney cancer, or breast cancer [36]. In our current study examining 489 patients with advanced/metastatic disease and clinical annotation, TIM-3 did not emerge as a prognostic factor, either for the full patient set or for the subgroup of 272 patients that were never exposed to immunotherapy.…”

Advances in Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)

“…These molecules include PD-L1, PD-1 and CTLA-4, lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain (TIM-3), and TIGIT [89]. Studies have shown that the increased expression of TIM-3 in many cancers, including liver cancer, is associated with a poorer prognosis [109]. It was observed that persistent exposure to an anti PD-1 antibody upregulated TIM-3 expression in a tumor-bearing lung in mouse models, which supports the idea that a TIM-3/PD-1 blockade may have great therapeutic potential [110][111][112].…”